CARDIFF Blues have been handed a more realistic chance of a favourable Heineken Cup draw for next season after being included in the top tier of Europe’s elite.

Despite not qualifying for the quarter-finals last season, the Blues have been named in the top group with champions Leinster, Toulouse, Munster, Leicester Tigers and Biarritz.

This means the Blues can’t be drawn against the five heavyweights when the 2011-12 draw is made on Tuesday.

Runners-up Northampton, who also topped the Blues’ group last season, are still named in the second tier alongside the Ospreys.

The Scarlets are in the third round of teams, while the Dragons will be in the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Once the Tier 1 clubs have been allocated a different pool no club from the same tier will be drawn in the same pool and no pool will have more than one club from the same country with the exception of England, with seven English teams.

The draw will launch the countdown to a tournament which will climax at Twickenham on the weekend of May 19-20, 2012, with the 17th Heineken Cup final.